Text-to-Speech Access Key

Sites accessible to users of screen readers or talking browsers will receive a Text-to-Speech Access Key. People using text-to-speech software may have low vision and use their software in addition to screen magnification software as an aid. They may also use their computers without monitors.

Designing for Users of Text-to-Speech Software

Users of text-to-speech software are going to have to listen to your web page read to them. Therefore it is very important to provide descriptive text where it should be. You should also provide easy ways of navigating a page and skipping through long lists of links or between different sections of text. Be clear about the destination of all links and avoid using text or descriptions where you do not need them. This will cut down on the time it takes to listen to each individual page. Many users will also navigate using only the keyboard so make certain navigation does not require a mouse. Make sure your site will make sense when the information is displayed in linear fashion - the order in which the text appears without visual formatting - as layout tables sometimes cause screen reading softare to read cells in an order that will not make sense.

Text-to-Speech Checkpoints